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Sideshoots - associated subjects => Campaigns for new and improved services => Topic started by: Richard Fairhurst on March 07, 2020, 18:42:29



Title: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: Richard Fairhurst on March 07, 2020, 18:42:29
It looks like the old Oxford-Witney railway is going to be an election issue here in West Oxfordshire - the Lib Dems are making it one of their major campaign topics. So I thought I'd have a look at how feasible reopening something broadly along the old alignment would be.

It starts off pretty simple at Yarnton. The trackbed is still there and unobstructed, passing through the Cassington Quarry site. There's even an underbridge beneath the A40 that could be reused (it would mean a longer journey for quarry traffic, turning at either Peartree or Eynsham roundabout, but that's not a big deal). Map:

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ESgTm07XYAE2RC3?format=png)

Eynsham is more difficult, because the B4449 (southern bypass) was built on the trackbed. There's room to the north of it, as long as you steer clear of Eynsham Abbey, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Obviously level crossings are pretty much verboten these days, so you'd need to bridge the railway. This would mean splitting the roundabout by the Siemens works into two, one north of the bridge, one south, each at sufficient distance from the bridge to ensure sightlines.

You then encounter Station Road. I think it'd be simplest just to stop this up on either side, with a pedestrian/cycle bridge as part of the station. Put the car parking on the south side to minimise the impact of traffic on Eynsham residents.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ESgUmuSWAAE8i-L?format=jpg)

We're then out into open countryside again with no obstructions. South Leigh originally had a level crossing, which wouldn't fly these days. So realign the route to the south, with just one bridge needed, and minimal impact on properties.

At Tar Lane (the minor road from the Cogges part of Witney to Stanton Harcourt), again, you could just stop it up - there isn't enough through traffic to merit a full bridge. Perhaps put a pedestrian and cycle bridge in to make a very enjoyable, largely traffic-free greenway.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ESgT_77XsAA--Vb?format=jpg)

And then there's Witney. The old line into the town has been built on, and the A40 embankment obstructs it. So just stay south of the A40, I think. Put a Park & Ride-type station at Ducklington, right by the A40 junction. It's around 1300m walk/cycle to Church Green, obviously less to estates such as Thorney Leys.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ESgUGVgXkAAH9Lr?format=jpg)

I haven't looked at reinstating the old route on to Carterton because it'd be pointless - the original route didn't actually go to Carterton, but ran south of Brize Norton village, and the air base has since extended over it. So you'd want a new alignment if you were to continue to Carterton, probably going south of Curbridge and then north of Brize.

Likely to happen? I doubt it, sadly. But it would be a much more sustainable answer to West Oxfordshire's traffic problems than dualling the A40 could ever be.


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: Reading General on March 07, 2020, 19:36:34
I don't think there is an easier closed and lifted trackbed branch to reinstate, certainly in this part of the country. If I recall correctly, West Oxfordshire Council went against rebuilding the railway through fear of outsiders spoiling there delightful world.
Even if it was a local train to Oxford or Didcot (Cowley in the future?) I could see this being a very popular railway. Could even be somewhere for those fast Oxford terminators from London to go. I despair at how slow attitudes to public transport change but these are changing times, and anything seems possible with climate at the top of the agenda.


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: ellendune on March 07, 2020, 21:10:09
Wasn't there a suggestion of a completely new alignment from Handborough?


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: Richard Fairhurst on March 08, 2020, 19:12:45
There was, but it seems like a non-starter to me. Hanborough-Witney has a significant hill whereas Yarnton-Eynsham-Witney is flat following the Thames and Windrush valleys. You'd also be missing out Eynsham and terminating further from the centre of Witney.


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: eightonedee on March 05, 2021, 13:51:48
There's apparently another campaign underway to do this- see

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-56240180

Interesting to see that Carterton (which has seen a lot of development in recent decades to become quite a substantial dormitory settlement) is included in the proposal


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: froome on March 06, 2021, 08:41:52
I don't know what Witney's population is these days, but it must be one of the largest towns in England without a station.

Just out of interest, following on from Richard's comment, how verboten is a new level crossing? Obviously a much easier and cheaper option in many circumstances than a bridge. Would it be completely ruled out, or could a well designed one with good sightlines still be acceptable in some circumstances, especially on lines where the maximum speed was relatively low?


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: Robin Summerhill on March 06, 2021, 10:58:09
Population 27,522 in the 2011 census, so much the same as many other towns without a station such as Calne and Corsham


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: onthecushions on March 07, 2021, 21:56:35

Would it need 8 car 387's or tram trains?

That might swing viability.

OTC


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: Richard Fairhurst on April 22, 2021, 20:40:03
The Witney-Oxford Transport group are doing their best to make this into an election issue.

They've done a survey of all the district and county council candidates in West Oxfordshire. Of those who replied (the great majority), all but two were in favour of preserving the line against further development.

The two: Ian Hudspeth, current council leader and county councillor for Woodstock; and Liam Walker, former cabinet member for transport (until being booted out for ill-advised comments about cyclists) and county councillor for neighbouring Hanborough. Both are strongly associated with the project to make Hanborough into the parkway for the A40 corridor.

It's going to be an interesting election...


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: Richard Fairhurst on May 18, 2021, 14:08:11
The new Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for transport strategy/development is a Witney councillor (Duncan Enright, Labour) who's spoken in support of bringing the railway back, while their LibDem coalition (senior) partners campaigned strongly for it. Ian Hudspeth, referred above, lost his seat. This could be the best chance the railway's had for a long time.


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: TonyK on May 18, 2021, 20:34:13
The new Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for transport strategy/development is a Witney councillor (Duncan Enright, Labour) who's spoken in support of bringing the railway back, while their LibDem coalition (senior) partners campaigned strongly for it. Ian Hudspeth, referred above, lost his seat. This could be the best chance the railway's had for a long time.

You would have thought having your constituency MP in number 10 for 6 years would have provided some added oomph to any campaign, but it didn't. I'll be up that way tomorrow, and will look out for signs of opinion forming. It would certainly benefit the whole area, not just Witney (and Carterton, with either a rail extension or more likely Park and Ride). I have had to drive into Oxford during the back end of morning rush hour more than once, and it isn't pretty.


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: Richard Fairhurst on May 20, 2021, 12:27:09
Right on cue:

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/19315113.review-a40-dualling-social-care-reform-planned-new-oxfordshire-coalition/

Quote
It is unclear yet how the new administration’s agenda will play out, but the council's new leader has said plans to dual the A40 between Oxford and Witney will be reviewed, with the aim of adding in a train line alongside it.

Liz Leffman, the new Lib Dem leader of the council, said: “We need to look at what the positives of the project the previous administration put together are. One of the things we would like to see is if it is possible to incorporate a train line between Witney and Oxford into the plans; not to build it, but to make it possible in the future.”


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: TonyK on May 27, 2021, 11:01:22
I was in Witney the other day, then had to drive from Carterton to Oxford and back. Much road building work is in progress as the A40 reaches Oxford, so if the new administration wants to save a rail route, they had better get on the case sharpish. To be honest, the idea does look a little unlikely, but the amount of building going on in the area would make a rail link a very desirable thing to have.


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: Richard Fairhurst on May 27, 2021, 11:31:38
The A40 works at the Oxford end wouldn't affect a railway, fortunately - they're basically works associated with the Oxford North housing/office development. It's the Witney–Duke's Cut A40 programme that has more consequence, and that's what the new administration is looking at reworking, I think.


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: Richard Fairhurst on January 28, 2023, 12:49:38
Reported that a firm of consultants employed by Oxfordshire County Council is working on a business case for reopening Oxford–Witney:

https://twitter.com/OxfordClarion/status/1618958285104898049


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: Marlburian on May 07, 2023, 16:46:46
Inconsequential observation, just to say I visited Witney early this morning and was very impressed with the town centre: interesting old buildings, a good range of shops, several bank branches that so far have escaped closure, buses running at 0730.


Title: Re: How you'd reopen a railway to Witney
Post by: Richard Fairhurst on May 25, 2023, 12:16:42
Feasibility study "published":

https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/feasibility-study-for-rail-link-between-oxford-witney-and-carterton-is-published/

(In quotes because it's just a press release, no sign of the study PDF itself!)

Headline is that construction is feasible and the line would be profitable, but it would cost a cool £700m-£900m to build.



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